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B. E. RIBS.

AUTOMATIC ALARM DEVICE FOR RAILROAD GROSSINGS. 'No. 282,776. PatentedAug. 7. 1883.

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z: z WITNESSES. ag g A ZINVEN% ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS n. RIES, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC ALARM DEVICE FOR R AILROAD-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,776, dated 'August7, 1883.

Application filed August 31, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS E. RIEs, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Alarm Devices for Railroad-Crossings, of whichthe'following is a specification.- 4

This invention relates to an improved automatic alarm or signal devicefor railroad-crossings, whereby the whistle of the locomotive isautomatically blown when the train approaches out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent, respectively, adouble track and a single track, with the projections arranged inrelative position to the crossings for giving the alarm-signal. Fig. 3is a side View of part of the locomotive'with' my improved alarm orsignaling mechanism arranged thereon, and shown in the act of beingoperated by one of the projections alongside of the track.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved alarm.

device, partly in section, on line 00 00, Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 aredetails of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My improved alarm-signal device for railway-crossings is intended to beapplied to each locomotive at any suitable point of the same, and isoperated automatically by sounding the stea1n-whistle of the same whenapproaching the crossing. The sounding of the whistle begins at somedistance from thecrossing, and is discontinued when the locomotivearrives at or near the crossing. For this purpose a projection, a, isarranged alongside of the track at a suitable distance from thecrossing, and a second projection, a, alongside of the track close tothe crossing at either side of the same,

as shown in Fi s. 1 and 2, in which the disposition of theactuating-stops is shown, respectively, for a double and single track.The proj ections a a may be made of any suitable shape;

preferably, however, in the shape of a spur or ported alongside thetrack.

The whistle-actuating mechanism proper is composed of three cam-whecls,b b If, which are keyed to a shaft, (1, that is supported in bearings d,secured to the fire-box or frame of thelocomotive. The outermostcam-wheel, b,

I is provided with four equistant cams or teeth extending at rightangles to each other, and is arranged at such height above the track andat such lateral distance therefrom that one of the cams will engage theprojections to a as the train moves past the same and'gradually turn 7othe cam-wheel b by contact therewith through one-quarter of arevolution, the cam just engaged passing clear over the projection a,and

placing the next cam or tooth in position to be engaged by the nextprojection along the track. 7 5

The innermost cam-wheel, b is provided in similar manner, like thecam-wheel b,with four cams and intermediate depressions, and acted uponat diametrically-opposite sides by friction-springs e, which areattached at one end in proper relative position to the cam-wheel I)" onthe locomotive-frame or other support of the whistle-actuatingmechanism. The friction springs e serve for the purpose of permittingthe cam-wheels I) and b to be moved through one-fourth of a revolutiononly, so as to place the next cam of the cam-wheel b in position forbeing engaged by the next following projection a or a; As the springseengage on the turning of the cam-wheel b through 0 an angle of ninetydegrees the next adjoining depressions, as shown in Fig. 5, and preventthereby. the cam-shaft d and its cam-wheels from turning beyond theproper distance by the force of concussion between the teeth of 5cam-wheel b and the projections to a, the illtermediate smallercam-wheel, b, is only provided with two cams and intermediatedepressions, and is shown in detail in Fig. 7.

cam-wheel is placed in contact with an anti- Ioo friction roller, f, atthe lower end of a Vertically-guided actuating-rod, f, which is forcedin downward direction, so that its roller f is always in contact withthe cainwheel b, by a This spiral spring, f, interposed between a fixedcollar, f, of the rod f and a guide-collar of the frame, as shown inFig. 4. The upper end of the vertically-guided rod f is connected by asuitable intermediate lever mechanism, 9, with the steam-whistle of thelocomotive, so that the steam-supply valve of the frame is opened' whenthe rod f is forced down by the action of its spring f but closed when,by the next engagement of the cam-wheel 1; with a projection, a a, thelatter is turned through the second quarter of its revolution, as thereby one of the cams of cam-wheel I) raise the vertical rod f anddiscontinue the sounding of the steam-whistle. By means of the describedposition of the cam-wheels of theactuating mechanism the whistle issounded when a locomotive approaches a crossing, as the outermostcam-wheel, b, is turned by the projection to through one-quarter of arevolution, the act: uating-lever mechanism of the whistle being held inposition by the cam-wheel b, so that the whistle continues to blow untilthe 1000- motive has passed the crossing and the outer cam-wheel isstruck by the stop a at or near the crossing. This has the effect ofthrowing the intermediate cam-wheel, Z), into its second position, sothat the sounding of the whistle is interrupted.

The parts composing the whistle-actuating mechanism are so constructedas to operate in the same manner whether the locomotive runs forward orbackward, the automatical sounding and stopping of the whistle beingaccom: plished in both directions.

As it may sometimes be necessary to throw the whistle out of operationwhen it is not desired to sound an alarm for any reason, a handlever, f,is pivoted at one end to the actuating-rod f, while theopposite end islocated at a convenient point in the cab of the locomotive, so that theengineer can, by a slight-pressure on the lever f, overcome theresistance of tinuously blown from the moment when the projectionfarther from the crossing opens the steam-valve of the same up to themoment when the steamsupply is interrupted, the whistle may be blownseveral times in sue? cession, in which case a number of successiveprojections have to be arranged along the track.

In this manner an alarm or signal is furnished which is operatedautomatically and entirely independent of the locomotive engineer, andwhich gives reliable and timely warning of the approach of a train atsuch a dis tance from the crossing that accidents may be avoided.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination of projections arrangedalongside of the track, a shaft on thelocomotive having radial arms tobe engaged by said projections, a cam-wheel upon said shaft,aspring-brake and alever mechanism operated by the cam to throw thewhistle in or out of action.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In an alarm device for railroad-crossings, thecombination of the raised stops or projections (4 a, arranged alongsideof the track, a cam-wheel, b, keyed to a shaft, d, supported in bearingsof a locomotive, cam-wheel b, keyed to shaft (Z and retained by springse 6, intermediate cam-wheel, b, keyed also to shafts d,vertically-guided and spring-presser rodf, and intermediate levermechanism, 9, connecting'the rod f with the valve of the whistle,substantially as specified.

2. In an alarm device for railroad-crossings, the combination, withraised stops or projections a a, of toothed cam-wheel b, keyed to aELIAS E. RIES.

XV itnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, SIDNEY MANN.

shaft, (1, supported in bearings of the locomo-,

